Fishcake
by chickadeebabe
Summary: It was a skinny love of sorts. They both liked the other and knew it, but dating? It would be an adventure to try and date Naruto Uzumaki and Shikamaru could already sense the future 'troublesomes' he would muttering to himself.
1. Chapter 1

Ino didn't make it her mission to pry into the lives of her teammates, but it had been brough to her attention that Shikamaru had been keeping a precious secret from her. Yes, from her! One of his best friends! And that secret was in the form of a blonde, whiskered, orange-loving kunoichi that had saved the Shinobi World.

While she was aware that the Nara wasn't an open person, she'd at least thought that if her teammate liked someone that he would tell her! Let alone if he was dating her!

Sure, Ino liked to gossip (anyone could tell you that) but it's not like she would tell the whole village as soon as he told her... she'd at least wait a day or two before spilling the beans. Like come on, he had to give her some credit.

So, in a way, she was bit huffy as she made her way to Yakiniku Q─their favorite BBQ restaurant. It was a ritual that Team Ten performed in honor of their late sensei, Asuma. All three of them would go to the BBQ restaurant and reminisce on their genin days or the little things that Asuma-sensei did that made him, well, him. Ino put a hand on her heart, closing her eyes as pain shot through her at the thought of her sensei.

It hurt. It always would to speak or think of the man and she knew Shikamaru and Chouji felt the same exact pain when they spoke of the man, but every day it got a little easier than last time.

Ino sighed and was relieved to see Yakiniku's familiar sign and smiled at her two, male teammates. She ran up to them, "Chouji-kun! Shika-kun!"

The two friends─who had been in a conversation─turned to her and Ino didn't even pause as she ran into Chouji's arms, the large man's arms wrapped around her in an instant. He gave her a quick squeeze before passing her off to Shikamaru, who sighed but didn't complain as he held her close.

Over the years, the three were closer, almost like siblings. Ino never greeted them without at least one hug and then another when it was time to say goodbye. At first, it had left her teammates tense and rigid. Then with time, it had become as natural as breathing. Ino was glad that they were as close as they are now and that she had done some changing to be someone that they're proud to call their teammate. But on the other hand...

"So, I'm a bit upset with you Shikamaru." Ino told the Nara as all three of them stepped into the entrance of Yakiniku and greeted the regular owner of the place, the old woman giving them a kind smile and leading them to their regular spot. Shikamaru sighed and just gave her a look, the look that said 'tell-me-why-you're-mad-even-though-I-don't-wanna-know' and Ino sent him a glare.

" _Well,_ " she started as they sat themselves at their table and their kind waitress already expecting The Usual Order, "a little _birdie_ told me that you and certain toad-loving kunoichi arw dating? Or was I gonna a the be last one to be informed?" The last question she phrased for both him and Chouji, the Akimichi giving her a amused smile.

Both her and Chouji turned to their teammate as the man made a choking noise and Ino was sure that if he had a drink, the brunette would he spit it out all over their table without hesitation.

"... huh?"

She felt her eyes roll involuntarily, concentration never leaving the stuttering man as the waitress came back with meat and sauces, "What's next? Am I gonna find out your getting married when I see her with a ring on her finger?"

Ino snorted as her friend seemed to get even more embarrassed, his back leaning against his seat and hand coming up to cover his face. She had never seen her best friend blush as hard as he was now, his tan cheeks red as a cherry. She almost wished that she had her camera with her so that she could capture this moment: Shikamaru Nara was embarrassed for the first time in forever. He hadn't even been like this when he and Temari used to flirt a bit.

He must really feel something for her.

Shikamaru coughed into his hand and Ino looked into his eyes as The Nara sat up a bit straighter and gave her a look, "Me and Naruto aren't really.. dating."

"Go on." He sent her a small glare and she only waved her hand at him, motioning for him to continue and once again Chouji was looked to for help, only to receive an amused glance as their answer.

He sighed and turned his eyes to the meat that was now cooking on their mini-grill, "We both.. like one another, but neither one of us want to make the first step."

Ino could hear the strain and awkward tone in his voice and knew that it was taking a lot for the man to spill his feelings to her, he was a person that kept to himself and didn't talk much about his feeling with others. She wasn't one to push him, but she decided that her need to satisfy her curiosity was too much, "What do you mean?"

".. I like her.. maybe even love her and I know she feels the same way that I do, but for some reason I can't ask her to date me and she can't either.. it doesn't seem like the right time whenever I think of asking her."

It wasn't a bad thing that he wanted to wait. In a way, it did seem to be a bit early as the war had just ended and Team Seven was trying to put itself back together after Sasuke left to find his 'way' or that was what she heard from Sakura. Ino didn't think it would be a horrible time to ask, but it certainly wouldn't be an idle one.

Either way, she could see his hesitance when it came to asking her. But even so it would be better if Shikamaru asked anyway! Who knows what could come out of it, he would never know of he didn't tell her or at least drop scenes for her.

"Look Shika," He lifted his head and turned to her, "I know you're scared to ask her out, but.. think about the future. She's admired now and people do have feelings for her, if you wait any longer than she might get tired of waiting and become someone else's girlfriend and you'll be left behind wishing that you told her your feelings."

Shikamaru turned to the grill and stared at the meat that Chouji had been cooking in silence, the larger male giving his best friend a gentle smile and let the man think over every scenario in his head. Ino knew that it wouldn't take him long to pick the right path and turned to Chouji, "Meat ready?"

"Yea, just give it a few minutes."


	2. Chapter 2

"So doc, will I live?"

Naruto giggled as her pink-haired teammate just gave her a deadpan look and sighed into her hand. She didn't miss the small smile that crossed the older girl's lips though and that caused a smile to dance on her own face.

Ever since Sasuke left for his journey, Sakura hadn't been herself and seemed to work herself into the ground at the hospital. It left her worried for the medic-nin. Naruto understood that the pink-haired girl loved the Uchiha, but working herself half dead wasn't gonna make him come back faster. It would just take time.

"You'll live," Naruto was snapped from her daydream as she give Sakura her full attention, "all I'll need to do it reform it into an arm and let Hashirama's Cells take care of the rest when I attach it to you." The girl sounded confident, but Naruto knew better. Her teammate was nervous and tried her best to hide it from her, almost afraid that she'll think less of her if she couldn't do the surgery.

No matter how many people told her that she surpassed Tsunade-baachan, Sakura could never see it. Naruto hoped that she would one day.

"I'm not worried! I know you'll have me right as rain in no time, Sakura-chan-ttebayo!" Naruto didn't regret her words as the small smile on her friends face grew into a warm grin directed at her.

"Thanks Naruto."

She smiled as Sakura's voice was filled with happiness and pure confidence once again and Naruto just shrugged, "Your welcome-ttebayo." She was glad that she could make her teammate feel better. With that, Naruto was shooed away by Sakura and she found herself walking down the familiar streets of Konoha.

It was crazy, she thought to herself. Once upon a time, Naruto wouldn't have even been able to imagine that she could walk around her village with the residents inside giving her loving and adoring smiles and greetings. People actually _liked_ her and were glad to see her. People - who she had seen all her life - now worshiped the ground she walked instead of spitting in her very path and cursing her to the ground. No one wanted her gone or killed. No one wanted _revenge._

 _These humans realize who the Apex Predator is now._

Naruto almost rolled her eyes as Kurama growled out his two-cents. WhIle the both of them weren't best friends, they got along with one another well enough that she let him have some free reign in her mind. She was certain that he wouldn't take over her body.

 _Pfft, you're far too puny to be my vessel._

 ** _Even after calling me the Apex Predator?!_**

 _I say th_ _at because you are the Apex Predator. Over other humans. I would never be prey to a blonde-haired, knuckleheaded, kunoichi._

By this time, Naruto had stopped in the middle of the street and her eyebrow was twitching like crazy as she felt her temper spike. The nerve of that lousy furball... He should be treating her with some respect! Naruto could have left him in that nasty sewer, but no! She wanted to be kind and made it an eco-paradise for him to relax and enjoy all for himself! The least the ass could do was treat her nicely!

 _ **Now, you listen here**_ —

"Naruto?"

She immediately felt a flush come to her tan cheeks as she registered the voice she heard. Naruto, of course, knew who the voice belonged to. There was no way that she could never not know who the owner of the raspy voice was and she couldn't fight the smile that emerged on her face as she turned to one Nara Shikamaru.

The pineapple-haired man was walking with his usual slump and his hands in his pockets, but even she could see the blush that was on his usually bored face.

Both of them were standing in front of the other, awkward and fidgety, "Hey! Um, Shikamaru haha.. how are you?"

"Well," He started while scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "fine. Nothing new really.. What about you? Causing anymore problems than usual?"

Naruto flushed, this time in embarrassment, before pointing a finger at him with her only arm, "What's that supposed to mean-ttebayo?! Trying to cause a problem, pineapple head?!" Naruto didn't care about the looks the villagers were shooting her as her only focus was on Shikamaru. The nerve of him! If he wanted to be technical, she'd been calm for the last two weeks! Asshole.. he was worse than Kurama..

The man smirked as he stared down at her before stepping closer to her and flicking her forehead, "Calm down, troublesome woman." He shook his head fondly as the girl squaked at his 'attack' on her forehead and watched as he girl went to rub at it.

"Shikamaru..." She growled out before she noticed his stare and looked to the side, blonde locks hiding her red whiskered face, "whatever."

"How's your arm?" It was sudden and out of place and caught Naruto off guard as she looked up to see Shikamaru's brown eyes locked on the stump where her right arm once resided and she was reminded that her body felt just a bit off balance. She shot him a smile and shrugged.

"S'alright. Could be worse."

Naruto didn't miss the dark look in her favorite Nara's eyes and she found that she didn't like that look residing there. At all. It was the same look she'd seen on him when Asuma was killed, the same look she'd seen in Obito when he'd confronted her sensei, and the same look that took her best friend from her for a _very_ long time: Revenge.

It was no secret to anyone - at least, anyone who knew Shikamaru - that the Nara had a special hatred for the Last Uchiha.

After everything he put the village and what he put Team 7 - mostly Naruto - through, Shikamaru held no love for him and let Naruto and Sasuke know that from the moment both teammates stepped back into the gates of Konoha.

You could imagine the look on Sasuke's face when the first thing he woke up to was a punch straight in the jaw from Shikamaru. Even in the hospital he hadn't been safe. Shikamaru was scolded profusely by both Naruto and Sakura, but the Nara merely took a nap while they scolded him and both girls sighed as they realized that their teammate wouldn't be getting an apology anytime soon, if ever.

"Hey," she started, lifting her hand up to hold his cheek in her grasp, "don't look like that. I'm fine. These things happen and I'm not the first Shinobi to lose a limb."

Shikamaru wasted no time leaning into her hand and brought his hand up to hold it, "Doesn't make me wanna rip the Uchiha apart any less."

"I'm alive. I'm thankful for that and so should you; if anything I should have been dead as well as him. We're lucky to escape with just this and that Sakura-chan was there for us." With that, she turned her hand to interlock her fingers with his and held his hand tight in her grasp. "So, stop looking like that.. troublesome man." She blushed as she looked down at their joint hands, but made no move to let go and neither did he.

She saw Shikamaru scowl, but the blush on his cheeks made it hard for him to look serious as his lips turned in a small smile and Naruto giggled as she heard a mumbled 'troublesome' from him and then both blushed as they realized that they had such a moment in front of the villagers as everyone had their eyes on them.

Shikamaru coughed into his free hand and looked down at her, "Wanna go to Ichirakku?"

Naruto's face lit up with immense joy as she grinned up at the Nara and pumped their interlocked hands into the air in a fist bump and uncovered shout of exclamation. She dragged him in the direction of ramen stand and both smiled fondly at one another.


End file.
